If: A Mother’s Memoir

An eloquent, heartfelt account of a young boy’s fight with cancer and of a mother’s determination and resilience, which see their family through to his recovery. As her ten-year-old son sits at the kitchen table one evening, Lise Marzouk inspects his mouth and discovers an unusual growth, which doctors later confirm is cancerous. When he

An eloquent, heartfelt account of a young boy’s fight with cancer and of a mother’s determination and resilience, which see their family through to his recovery.

As her ten-year-old son sits at the kitchen table one evening, Lise Marzouk inspects his mouth and discovers an unusual growth, which doctors later confirm is cancerous. When he is hospitalized at the Curie Institute in Paris for lymphoma treatment, Lise finds herself torn between two worlds, one at his bedside, and the other at home with her two younger children, struggling to maintain a sense of stability in their lives. And so she writes—of their fears and doubts, but also of their moments of tenderness and joy—and through these memories, stories, and reveries, she arrives at a deeper understanding of herself as a woman, a mother, and a writer.

Brimming with a rebellious sense of hope, If offers an intimate look at how a mother’s love and support enabled her family to come out of a devastating experience stronger and more connected.